Coda And Terchi's Extreme Adventure
by Fritz Baugh
Summary: March 1998-Timeline Year Sixteen A routine day at Ghostbusters Central; Janine is looking at wedding dresses; Ray is welcoming his wife and son to New York City; and the Extreme Ghostbusters get a call about hairy-footed kids materializing in Queens. Okay, maybe it's not so routine.
1. Chapter 1

**Previously**

This story takes place not long after _Extreme Ghostbusters: Hearts In Eclipse, Part Three_

The "Extreme Ghostbusters" have been together for a year, with Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz serving as mentors. Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Winston Zeddemore are all husbands and fathers, but have returned to the company they helped form; while Egon and Janine are, after almost fifteen years, engaged to be married.

* * *

 **March 1998**  
 **Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline Year Sixteen**

* * *

A piece of trash fluttered by, breaking the quiet of a March night pregnant with the promise of spring. It clattered to a stop against a dumpster, appropriately enough.

A garbage truck pulled up to the dumpster. Two disheveled men got out; one of them snorted as he picked up the blown detritus. "You'd think they'd take the one step more necessary to get it, I dunno, the giant thing designed to hold trash just six inches away, right?"

"Yeah, well, that's kids today, Larry. Always in a hurry." The other garbageman said. "Ready to grab it, then?"

"Yeah, Joe." Larry replied. "And I still think you're nuts about the Jaguars."

"Hey, it's their year!" Joe replied. "Katie has a feelin' about this one..."

"Your wife is as nuts as you are." Larry said. "Every year is the Jaguars year...except it never is. I tell you..."

The wind began to swirl, and a distinct smell began to fill the air.

"We about to have a thunderstorm?" Joe asked.

"Weather didn't say anything about it..." Larry replied.

"Yeah, and the weatherman is never wrong."

"You mean like Katie and her 'hunches'?"

"Don't make me back the truck over you..."

There was snap of purple lightning, and something fell to the ground.

"What the hell?" Larry said.

"Jumpin' jehosephat!" Joe exclaimed. "It's a couple of kids or something! You guys all right?" he called, he and his coworker moving closer to help.

One of the kids sat bold upright. She looked to be a pre-teen girl at first glance, with unkempt dirty blonde hair, and a baggy grey and rust-colored outfit. She appeared to have forgotten her shoes.

Her eyes popped open.

Joe and Larry literally jumped back.

The girl's brown eyes had eerie solid black sclera, with dull bluish irises and white pupils. And there was a glowing purple gem, darker on one side, affixed to her forehead. "I feel it..." the girl said, in a voice with an unnatural modulation to it. "There is another heart here...and I sense..." her eyes narrowed. "The chieftain? How can that be?"

She howled, and a blast of purple energy sent Joe and Larry flying back. When they picked themselves up, there was no sign of the weird girl.

"What the sweet merciful fuck just happened, Joe?"

"I don't know, Larry..." Joe replied. "But find the nearest pay phone...you know who we need to call..."

There was a groan from back where the girl appeared. There was another child there; as shoeless as the other, but in green and yellow. And apparently male.

Joe and Larry ran.

The bleary-eyed boy looked around. "A nice 'ello to yous too..." He shook his head. "Where the dickens 'ave we ended up?"

* * *

 **EXTREME GHOSTBUSTERS:  
CODA AND TERCHI'S EXTREME ADVENTURE**  
 **PART ONE  
By Fritz Baugh**  
 **GBI Case File 1998-16/440**

 **Ghostbusters Central**  
 **Corner of Varick and Moore**

* * *

 _I am_ _never_ _getting married_ nineteen year-old Kylie Griffin remarked to herself.

The table around her was filled with bridal magazines, filled with pictures of wedding dresses full of frills and lace. At the center of the storm sat one of Kylie's bosses, thirty-nine year-old Janine Melnitz-the bride-to-be.

"What about this one, Jay?" a slightly older woman asked, in a voice betraying her Brooklyn upbringing.

Janine's nose crinkled. "I'd look like a frickin' mermaid in that one, Dee."

Doris Melnitz Irwin, Janine's older sister, laughed. "Well, you are a redhead!"

"It's not too late for you and Egon to just go down to the courthouse..." the fourth woman in the room, Kaila McMillan Zeddemore, remarked.

"We'd kill them both." Doris snarled.

Kylie spared a quick glace at Kaila's five year-old daughter Charlene, who was asleep in one of the nearby chairs-the young girl had been completely bored with the whole thing. _I completely agree, Kiddo..._ (Kylie half suspected Charlene was faking the sleep). She really felt envy for Egon, who was holed up in his lab-and since the dress selection was supposed to be a "surprise" to him anyway, the other women left him to it.

"Hey, Kylie, what do you think?" Janine asked.

Kylie broke out in a cold sweat. She felt honest relief when the phone next to Janine began to ring.

"Typical timing." Janine rolled her eyes. "Ghostbusters Central, how may we help you?" She nodded her head a few times, punctuated with a couple of "uh-huh"s, and scribbled something down on a nearby notebook. "We'll send the team out right away!" After hanging up, she handed the note to Kylie.

"What's the situation?" Kylie asked.

"Couple of garbagemen in Queens said a couple of midgets popped out of a purple fireworks show." Janine answered. "It could be a prank, a'course..."

"We'll take it!" Kylie said, maybe just a little too enthusiastically.

"Well, crap." Doris said breezily. "I guess we'll have to pick out your bridesmaid dress when we get back, Kylie."

Kylie muttered, and quickly went downstairs.

* * *

 **Penn Station**

* * *

Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore watched people stroll though the terminal. Ray looked at his watch for like the fifth time.

"The board says they'll be here on time" Winston said.

"I know, I know...I just..."

"I understand, Man." Winston said, placing a hand on Ray's shoulder.

"There!" Ray said excitedly.

Winston of course recognized the woman holding the dozing twenty-month old toddler: Elizabeth Hawthorne Stantz, Ray's wife of almost three years. Though he did notice one difference from the last time he saw her. "What's with the hair?" Winston asked, pointing to his left temple-a shock of Liz's hair over her own left temple was now a coppery auburn color...

"Kind of a weird story..." Ray answered. "Liz!"

Liz, who was still talking with a porter rolling her luggage along, smiled, and poked the dozing toddler. "Look who's here!"

The drowsy little boy looked up, kind of annoyed at the interruption of his nap...until his eyes went wide and he squealed with joy. "DA-DA!" The little boy had the exact same wide, dimpled smile as Ray Stantz.

"C'mere, you!" Ray said, taking the eager child from Liz, hugging him tightly. Ray and Liz then snuck in a quick kiss.

"This must be Eric Stantz." Winston said, taking the boy's hand and shaking it.

"This is my friend Winston!" Ray said.

"How was the trip?' Winston asked.

"Not bad at all." Liz answered. "Pretty easy after the last few months of making arrangements and packing. This is actually the last part of a long, dull process." She shrugged. "But we needed to get it done by summer, because by then all the tribunals will be in session and I'll be busy with that."

"Welcome to New York at last." Ray said happily. "Both of you!"

Liz sidled up to Ray's other side. "You did take good care of Mommy while I was away, right?" Ray asked Eric. The boy smiled and nodded.

Winston stopped.

"Winston?" Liz asked.

"Nothing...just..." Winston shook his head. "I just had a weird feeling. Maybe I had too much gravy on my breakfast."

 _Or someone just walked over my grave..._

* * *

 _This world has gone mad. That is the only way to explain it._

We chose our domain for a reason-this area is frozen compared to the land we ruled. No wonder it's full of the ridiculous ice people-this is more to their liking.

I see some of the preferred race...but so much here...offends me.

The smells, for one thing. Noxious; even the stinking offal of animals left to rot for months is nothing compared to some of this.

The noises...chaotic, clashing...disharmonic...Driano would hate this place. Which I suppose is some small benefit.

And all of this metal...so...hideous. Cold in a different way-a deep freeze of the spirit.

I know the Chieftain is here...he should have been long gone from the world, but he would not be the only human to escape death's grasp

Where is he?

 _No...first find the heart that calls to me. With it's power, then...then I can confront the Chieftain. Then, perhaps, I can discover the fate of my absent brother._

* * *

 **Queens**

* * *

As the ECTO-1 pulled up to the intersection, they saw a police car and a garbage truck. Two disheveled garbage men and a couple of beat cops stood nearby.

"Well, Carlos ain't on this one..." Eduardo Rivera exhaled. "So we got that goin' for us."

Eduardo, Kylie, and the other two Ghostbusters-Roland Jackson and Garrett Miller-got out of the car. "How may we help you. Officers?" Roland said amiably.

"Now where did that kid go?" one of the cops asked, suddenly.

"He screamed and ran behind that mail box when the Ghostbuster car pulled up." the other answered.

"Let me help you." Roland said, as one of the officers rolled his eyes and moved toward the indicated box.

Kylie examined her PKE Meter. "Hmm..."

"Got anything?" Garrett asked.

"There's still a lot of energy floating around, but it's dissipating..." Kylie answered.

"Hey there, you can come out!" the cop said.

Roland looked down to see what appeared, at first glance, to be a "child" as the report had stated. But his pointed ears and slight beard stubble were incongruous to that first impression. "Fine 'ows y'do 'ere! Some kinda blarin' clankin' makin' the wors' noise like a ruttin' owlbear eatin' a rabid displacer beast or somefink I swears..."

"Hello there!" Roland said amiably.

"Whut are you?" the boy asked, eyes wide. "I mean, you looks like a manfolk...but I ain't neva' seen one in 'Obgoblin color before..."

Roland inhaled deeply. He was trying not to take offense at that, but was failing.

"I gotta tell Styx 'bout this!" the boy continued excitedly. "There's 'Alf-Goblins after all!"

"Well, he's rude." Garrett said. "I think I like him already."

"An' a Sluagh? They has Sluagh here?" the boy said, eyeing Kylie.

"Sluagh are spirits of the restless dead from Irish folklore." Kylie said acidly. "I ain't dead."

"Don't take it personally, okay?" Eduardo said.

"An' a satyr?!" the boy said. "We lands in Arcadia or somefink?!"

"Satyr?!" Eduardo bristled, well tired of being called "Goat Boy" by Garrett.

"Don't take it personally, okay?" Kylie smirked.

"Hey, I have an idea, how about before you insult everyone here, you stop and tell us who you are, alright?" Garrett broke in.

"Oh, well, no insult was meant, I promise..." the boy said, straightening his vest and bowing. "Terchi Bagwise of Dragonsfall, at yer service."

"He throwing off any paranormal energy?" Roland asked Kylie.

Kylie shook her head. "He's definitely corporeal. There's a slight trace-a stronger PK field than an average human, but nothing really exceptional. He may have supernatural ancestry, but that's maybe about it."

"Garrett of Brooklyn Heights." Garrett answered. "And this is Roland of Jackson, Vampira of the Goth, and Torgo of the Goat People."

Eduardo growled, and started to move toward Garrett.

"Pleased to meecha all." Terchi said.

"We're not..." Kylie started to say.

"Now, could you tell us why you're here?" Garrett asked.

Terchi shrugged. "Yer guess is as good as mine, Mister Garrett."

"What?" Garrett asked.

"Well, you sees, I..." Terchi's eyes went wide, and he grabbed Garrett's shoulder patch, the one displaying the red and white Ghostbuster logo. "You 'as one of these too?"

"You...know what that is?" Roland asked, indicating his own Ghostbuster patch.

"Well, I's seen one before." Terchi shrugged. "Miz Elizabef's mantoy Mister Ray 'ad one 'is shirt when they saved us from the skeleton horde and..." Terchi visibly shuddered. "...'At 'orrible Mister Stalker. Scary arse that guy was..."

" 'Miss Elizabeth and Mister Ray'..." Kylie interjected. "Liz and Ray Stantz, do you mean?!"

"Oh yeah!" Terchi exclaimed. "Mister Ray Stanz and Miz Elizebef 'Awforne Stanz! You knows them too?"

* * *

 **Central Part West**

* * *

 _I can't locate the heart in this city...something is obscuring it from me..._

This building here, there is lingering energy...but the heart is not here...

I must feel the power...

Yes...

A lighter resonance...

The one who last used the heart...

 _I know where he is!_

* * *

 **Ghostbusters Central**

* * *

Egon Spengler heard the front door open; he looked up from the papers on the desk that had once belonged to Peter Venkman, in case there were customers to deal with.

"Hey! We're back!" Ray called out.

Egon stood up, and walked over to them. He was still using a cane, as he had since a recent incident at the opera house. He was getting better, though, and was certain he'd be able to walk to the altar without it.

The first person Egon saw, though, was a twenty month old boy staring at the garage with a wide expression of wonder.

"Hello there." Egon said.

The boy looked at him, then at Ray. "Da-da?"

"It's all right, Eric!" Ray told his son. "This is my old friend Egon!"

Egon found himself making a heartfelt grin. "And you must be Eric Stantz." Egon extended a hand to shake.

Eric grabbed him and hugged him. "Unk Egon!"

" 'Uncle Egon'?" Egon noted. "That term is usually only applied to the brother of one's parent." He made a dry chuckle. "So actually, I suppose it fits."

"We meet again at last, Doctor." Liz said.

"That we do, Elizabeth." he shook her hand. "But as you're effectively family now, you really should call me Egon."

"The ladies still upstairs looking at wedding dresses?" Winston asked.

"I believe so." Egon answered. "Though Charlene was asleep when I passed through."

Winston nodded. "I bet. This 'girl' stuff bores her to death."

"She might get over it someday." Liz shrugged.

Eric was wandering around the garage, his father following just close enough to intervene if he toddled over to something he shouldn't. Eric wandered over to the fire pole, and looked up it. "Dis work?" he said, and tried to climb up it.

Ray laughed. "You are my son!" He picked Eric up, put him into place about three feet off the floor, and let him slide down it. Eric laughed merrily and said "Again!"

"Raymond was the same way when he saw it." Egon remarked.

Eric suddenly squealed and ran behind Ray.

Ray looked up to see a familiar green face at the top of the fire pole. "Slimer? Hey, come on down, Buddy! You have to meet my family!"

Slimer floated down. He babbled a greeting.

"So this is Slimer." Liz said amiably. "I've heard so much about you."

"Slimer, this is my wife, Liz." Ray said.

Slimer cried out joyfully, and flew to embrace her...

...Except when he got about a foot away from her, the confused ghost bounced back.

Eric laughed and moved from behind his father.

"Heh. Parma's still up." She closed her eyes and silently mouthed something. "Try again."

This time Slimer successfully bear hugged her. "I let this happen why?" she said breezily.

"Liz, Peter's gonna offer you just about anything he can to learn that trick." Winston noted.

"Even if he was capable of learning it..." Liz replied, "...Teaching it to him would get both of us hunted down and killed."

Eric moved closer to the ghost-seeing it hug his mother seemed to take a lot of the fright out of it. "Sli-ma?"

"Hah?" Slimer replied.

Eric grabbed him, then quickly stepped back. The boy looked at his own now slime-covered hands. He squealed in delight and hugged Slimer again.

"I think he's found a new playmate." Liz said warmly. Ray smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, but he's gonna be a real messy one..."

* * *

 **A Krazy's Restaurant Elsewhere In Manhattan**

* * *

"...And not long after that, I shit you not, I found James in the kitchen with a hot apple pie, doing...well..." The face of Sherman Tully, MD (Dermatology) , curdled for a few seconds, then he began to laugh. "I tell you, Louis, you should be really glad you never had any kids."

Sherman's cousin, Louis B. Tully, Certified Public Accountant, had nearly choked on his cheeseburger with Sherm's story. After getting his breath back from laughing so hard, he finally replied. "Well, that's what Andrew tells me too, and I know Lawrence is a handful especially now that he's a teenager, but my Mom would totally disagree with you..."

"Well, all Aunt Flo sees is another grandkid to spoil." Sherm said. "Oh yeah...sorry...I forgot how sensitive this subject might be right now, with you working with the ex again."

"I'm not working with her." Louis shrugged. "We're just both employed by the same company-she's still at the Franchise Zero office in Tribeca, but Doctor Venkman's leased some office space at the Slaviczek Building at Thirtieth Street and Seventh Avenue to be Ghostbusters International headquarters. He took the corner office himself of course even though he's never there, but the one he gave me is great! It's right next to the cappuccino machine!"

"Well, then you did great, then!" Sherm grinned.

"You're pretty good with numbers and organization yourself, Sherm." Louis said. "You ever get tired of looking at people's moles and eczema all day I know I could talk Dr. Venkman into hiring you."

Sherm laughed. "Yeah, but until James is out of college I don't think I could take the pay cut."

Louis shrugged, and took another bite of his clown burger.

He heard some sort of commotion near the door. "I'm sorry, Miss, but the sign clearly says 'No shirt, no shoes, no...' ERGH!" The list bit was accompanied by a loud thud and a scream.

Louis looked up to see one of the employees was now laying on top of the condiment bar. A girl stood in the doorway, and sure enough, was shoeless. Louis felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Do not impede me, iceling!" the girl barked, a weird tenor and accent in her voice.

"Wow." Sherm said. "Those have got to be the third or fourth hairiest set of feet I've ever seen!"

Louis gulped as the girl turned to face them. He froze in mid-breath: there was a gem on her forehead. One he recognized. "...oh...shit..." he squeaked.

"You." the girl said, moving closer to Louis.

"Get out of here, Sherm!' Louis managed to breathe.

The air around the girl suddenly coursed with purple energy. The staff and customers screamed and started to run.

Louis couldn't move.

"L...Louis!" Sherm called, pausing in his own flight.

The girl grabbed Louis; the purple energy played around him.

"Your memories...of the heart..."

Images flooded through his head...

* * *

 _"Might I interest you in a good luck charm? If there's two women involved, you might need it." The bum pulled out a purplish gem, almost opague, and even darker on one side. In fact, when he held it up, it resembled a purple moon being eclipsed. "Only five bucks..."_

* * *

 _His head was pounding...like it wanted to explode..._

He saw his answering machine light was blinking...he jabbed the button...

" _Uncle Louis, it's Lawrence...could you loan me twenty bucks till Friday? I'm a little short this week and..._ "

He hit the skip button brusquely. **Leeching parasite asshole nephew of mine...had more toys than God as a kid, and he's still a spoiled little shithead...**

" _Hey, it's Sherm. You know, your cousin? Anyway, I was thinking maybe I come over this weekend and go bowling..._ "

"Bowling?!" Louis howled, ripping the answering machine off the coffee table and hurling it into the wall. "My life is a fucking joke and he wants to go bowling?!"

Louis collapsed onto the couch, head swimming with agony... **How could I have been so stupid? They didn't want me back...they all wanted to laugh at me one more time...rub it all in that they have the kind of lives I can only dream about...I just wanted to find someone...and kept losing them to Ghostbusters. I just wanted somebody to love me-was that so wrong?!**

 **I hate them! I hate them all!**

And then, he found himself drowning in a sea of rage. It was purple.

* * *

 _"I want him and Venkman both-tell that smug bastard I'll be waiting for him where it all began, and if he doesn't get there quick...well, I won't promise anything..."_

* * *

 _"I'm tired of listening to you and your lies!" Louis shouted. "Like the lie about how you loved me! Like the lie about for better or for worse!"_

* * *

"No...not during the possession...afterward..." the girl snarled.

* * *

 _"I don't see why not." Venkman replied. "Er, Ray...could you take care of.." he pointed at the purple gem on the floor._

"Huh? Yeah, right..." Ray nodded, pulling out a sample jar to scoop up the gloom gem. "I guess these will have to go into the same fridge we keep the mood slime in..."

"I just wonder where these things came from." Winston remarked. "We never did find the bum who sold them..."

* * *

She dropped Louis. The image in his mind, clear as day. His garb was far different, but the bearing, the facial features...

"Shima-Buku IS here!" the girl cried.

"shim...who..." Louis tried to ask, before falling unconscious.

* * *

To Be Continued

* * *

Based on _Ghostbusters_ Created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis

 _Extreme Ghostbusters_ Created by Fil Barlow

* * *

Ectozone Editorial Staff: Dr. Vincent Belmont, EGB Fan, TheRazorsEdge.  
Additional Beta: Kingpin, OgreBBQ

* * *

Some references are made to Vincent Belmont's story "Mito Conundrum", and to "Hearts In Eclipse"

Coda and Terchi created by Fritz Baugh. Advice on their accents provided by EGBFan.

Kaila McMillan Zeddemore based on a character created by James Van Hise and Neil Grahame. Developed by Brian Reilly. Charlene Zeddemore created by OgreBBQ and Fritz Baugh, with some development by EGBFan.

Liz Hawthorne Stantz created by OgreBBQ. Developed by Fritz Baugh with some assistance from Jay Tigran. Eric Stantz created by OgreBBQ.

* * *

#4400-20160903y (13Vir,26AAq)  
Established 20160920t (30Vir, 26AAq)  
139


	2. Chapter 2

**Extreme Ghostbusters: Coda and Terchi's Extreme Adventure, Part Two**

By Fritz Baugh  
GBI Case File 1998-16/440

* * *

 **Previously**

* * *

A routine day at Ghostbusters Central; Janine is looking at wedding dresses; Ray is welcoming his wife and son to New York City; and the Extreme Ghostbusters get a call about hairy-footed kids materializing in Queens.

Okay, maybe not so routine.

* * *

 **March 1998**  
 **Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline Year Sixteen**

* * *

"...Admit I was a bit disappointed to learn that Dr. Belmont wasn't going to be here when I arrived." Liz said to Egon. "It will be interesting to meet the former avatar of the Zodiac Lords who actually resisted...especially now that he's a member of the Order."

Egon nodded. "Vincent and Gabriel should be done with their assignment by next week." Egon's mouth turned slightly into a slight wry smile. "And I think he's rather nervous about meeting you."

Liz chuckled. "Something to do with my House's unusual role in the Order. But he has nothing to be nervous about."

Egon shrugged. "I take your word for it. If it helps, I will remind you that another of the Zodiac avatars should be returning any time now."

"Does she know about me?"

"Only that you're Ray's wife." Egon shook his head. "Nothing about your role in 1991, or your...ahem...real job. Ray was insistent on that."

Liz nodded. "It's what I asked him to pass along."

There was an indignant shout, the distinct sound of Slimer screaming, several female voices laughing, and then the Class 5 Full Roaming Vapor hurtled down the stairs, a slime-covered Charlene Zeddemore in pursuit.

A laughing Eric Stantz quickly followed, clapping and cheering. His father was just behind him. "Charlene! Wait!"

"Now I'm beginning to understand what Uncle Peter's always so grumpy about." she grumbled, wiping off slime.

"It wasn't Slimer's fault-he and Eric were playing, and they zigged or zagged at the wrong time." Ray explained.

She sighed. "I know, but still..."

Winston peeked down from the fire pole. "You okay, Charlene?"

"I'm fine, Dad." she answered. "Just in need of a shower now, that's all..."

Eric was still laughing merrily. "You don't have to look so happy about it, Kiddo..." Charlene grumbled.

As she went up the stairs, the doors into the garage opened, and the ECTO-1 pulled in. The four Extreme Ghostbusters started to get out. "Doctor Stantz!" Kylie said. "Thank goodness you're here!" She was about to say something else, but after noticing the woman and child she'd only seen in pictures, seemed to think the better of it.

"I take it things went well?" Egon asked.

"We don't know yet, Professor." Roland answered. "We removed the problem, but it wasn't a ghost, and I think there's still more to it."

"Oh?" Egon's eyebrow shot up.

Kylie kept glancing at Liz and Eric, trying not to stare.

"You'll see what we mean." Garrett said breezily, turning back to the ostensibly empty car. "You can come out now."

"Yeah, it's safe out here." Eduardo said. "More or less."

"You pick up a stray cat or something?" Ray asked.

That brought a face to the ECTO-1's window-but not a feline one.

"Terchi?!" Ray and Liz said in unison.

The diminutive humanoid made a cry of equal parts happiness, relief, and continuing confusion as he ran out of the car and embrace the two of them. "Miz 'Lizabef'! Mist' Ray! Oh me godfuss! You 'ave no idea 'ow 'appy I am to sees ya!"

"Well, he was definitely telling the truth about knowing Doctor and Mrs. Stantz." Roland noted.

"We're glad to see you too, Terchi." Liz said, as soothingly as possible. "But what are you doing here?"

"And alone, too!" Ray noted. "Back in Dragonsfall, you and Coda were practically joined at the hip!"

Terchi started crying. "I don'ts rightly know, Mist' Ray! An' Coda...oh me stars, what 'appened to 'er, I don'ts..."

Eric walked over hesitantly. "Ma-ma?"

Liz looked at her son. "It's okay, Eric."

Terchi stopped crying. He looked at Eric, both with wide eyes. " 'Oozat?"

"This is Eric, our son." Liz explained.

" 'Oly crife! You two done made a sprog!" Terchi laughed. He slapped Ray on the lower back. " 'Ood on ya, there!"

Egon cleared his throat.

Ray nodded. "Egon's right, we need to figure out what's going on here." He turned to Terchi. "We'll fill in everyone who you are, you sit down for a few minutes and calm down, so you can tell us what's going on."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ray and Liz had told the assembled group about the events that had transpired almost four years before: Liz had been staying at a Hermetic Covenant when it was invaded by an army of skeletons led by an evil undead knight, Thadarr Stalker-an old enemy of the Covenant's sole actual member, the Archmage Zandrik Fallagar. Fallagar had met the Ghostbusters three years earlier, during the same Zodiac Imperative incident that Kylie had been an unwitting part of.

Liz had reached out for help, not knowing the Ghostbusters had broken up in the interim. Ray was all she got, but it was enough-together they managed to defeat Lord Stalker.

Coda and Terchi were part of a small community of refugees of faerie and magic descent that Fallagar hosted, most of which had hidden in the Covenant's underground vault-Coda, Terchi, and a hobgoblin named Styx being the notable exceptions.

When they were finished, Kylie was looking at Liz with a new nervousness. "You're a member of the Order? You're a wizard like Vincent?"

Liz nodded. "We belong to different groups within the Order-different Houses-but yes."

"Fascinating." Egon stroked his chin. "Ray, I will have some questions about the matter for you later."

"I may not be able to answer all of them." Ray shrugged.

"Understood." Egon nodded.

"But now, Terchi, we need to know-what brought you here?" Liz asked, leaning over and putting a reassuring hand on Terchi's shoulder. "And did what you say earlier mean Coda's involved?"

Terchi gulped, then the phone rang. The sound freaking him out and he jumped back into ECTO-1.

"I got it." Eduardo rolled his eyes. "Extreme Ghostbusters, busting ghosts the Extreme way since 1997!" Eduardo listened for a second. "Hey, Professor, it's that accountant guy-he wants to talk to one of you!"

"Louis?" Egon asked, and Eduardo nodded.

Ray quickly moved to the phone "I better get this one..." He took the phone from Eduardo. "Hey, Louis, this really isn't the best time for...wait...what?" He stopped for a few seconds and listened. "No, actually, that sounds like something we do know something about, and..." His face went dark. "The gloom gem?"

This brought an intense look from Egon, and worried looks from the Extreme team.

"It can't be, Louis-the ones we got from you and that other victim are still here." He looked at Egon. "Right?"

Roland ran up the stairs. A few seconds later, he appeared at the fire pole opening, and nodded.

"Affirmative." Egon said.

"We'll be there as quick as we can-you and Sherm just stay there." Ray hung up the phone. "He says there was, well, he put it a 'weird blonde girl with big hairy feet' that attacked him. She had a gloom gem in her forehead."

"...oh my godfuss..." Terchi cried from inside the ECTO-1, peeking out over a door. "Y' found Coda?"

"Sounds like it." Ray nodded.

Roland came back down the stairs, with Winston close behind.

"Oh! An' yer friend Mister Winston is here too!" Terchi said. "Where's the grabarse guy, then?"

Ray chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Peter's out in Los Angeles with his family."

Roland looked incredulous. "Wait...I look like a hobgoblin but Winston is 'Oh, hey, Mister Winston'?"

"We met at Ray's wedding." Winston noted.

"An' Mister Winston don't look anyfin' like a 'obgoblin." Terchi said. "The color's all wrong and he don't have the jawline."

"I thought..." Roland shook his head.

"Jumpin' to conclusions, huh?" Eduardo elbowed him.

"Shut up, Satyr." Roland retorted, an uncommonly acid tone in his voice.

"We need to debrief Terchi about what happened." Egon said. "Roland-take the team to check out Louis's incident."

"I think..." Kylie spoke up. "I think one of us should stay here to get the story from Terchi.

"I agree." Egon nodded.

"There's more." Ray said. "When Coda attacked him, she did something to him, went through his memories-he said she muttered some phrase that meant nothing to him, but it does to us-'Shima Buku'."

"I think this means I better go with them." Winston spoke up.

"Logical." Egon agreed.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

* * *

The girl caught her refection in a window, and stopped to study it.

 _Curious..._ the entity controlling her mused. _The physical form resembles that of the ice folk's young...but..._ It tugged on her pointed left ear. _...This is a mark of a different heritage._ It poked her distinct, though not ample, left breast. _And despite the youngling appearance, the body appears to have full adult fertility._

 _GET OUT OF MY FUCKING BODY, YOU BALDY ARSEHOLE GIT!_

 _You resist?!_

The image in the mirror convulsed suddenly. The darkness drained from one of the sclera. "...get...outa...m'...fuckin'...body..." came her voice, straining, an accent that wasn't there before coloring it.

 _I am impressed._ the entity remarked. _Your will is strong. And more...you are in communion with spirits of primal rage. They fuel you._

The girl convulsed again.

 _But while you commune with primal rage spirits..._

 _SOD OFF!_

 _You might say that I_ _am_ _a primal rage spirit..._

One more convulsion, and the girl opened her eyes once more; sclera both black, countenance calm.

"That is why you have no hope of defeating me." The voice was calm and unaccented once more.

* * *

 **A Krazy's Restaurant Elsewhere In Manhattan**

* * *

The ECTO-1 pulled to a stop; three Extreme Ghostbusters plus one original got out.

"Detective Albert!" Winston called out to one of the cops standing outside. The man nodded, and a uniformed patrolman let the four Ghostbusters inside the crime scene.

"I take it you do know these guys?" Albert said, indicating Louis Tully and another man sitting next to him, who looked a lot like him.

"I know Louis; he's our company accountant." Winston answered.

"Good enough for me." Albert nodded. "Just let me know what you figure out if it's something my bosses will believe."

"It's great that you got here Winston this whole this was terrible and..."

"Slow down, Louis." Winston shook his head. Roland was nearby taking some PKE readings.

"So okay me and Sherm here were..."

"Sherm?"

"Sherman Tully, MD Dermatology, Mister Zeddemore." the other man said, shaking Winston's hand. After a few seconds "We met back in 1989 or so? The whole thing with you guys being stuck in Parkview and I helped Louis try to spring you before the Mayor did it?"

Winston shrugged. "Sorry, Man. A lot was going on then, and it was almost ten years ago."

"What you getting, Roland?" Eduardo asked.

"There's still some residual energy here..." Roland noted. "It matches the signatures of the gems we found a few weeks ago, but the amplitude is indicating a higher base energy level."

"Louis, back to what happened?" Winston asked.

"Well, okay, Sherm and I were sitting here eating our Clown Burgers and he was just telling me about his son James in the kitchen with an apple pie when..."

"The signal's picking up!" Roland shouted. "Her-or another one-is approaching!"

"Shit." Eduardo growled.

"Good." Garrett chuckled, adjusting his thrower. "I pretty much missed out on the last one due to all the fucking stairs..."

"...Still owe me a ride in the Ectomobile..." Sherman muttered.

The Ghostbusters ran outside. The cops were being manhandled by tendrils of violet energy. All of the assembled Ghostbusters remembered seeing similar ones a few weeks earlier, surrounding the Shandor Building.

"Fall back, Men!" Detective Albert shouted. "This is clearly Ghostbuster jurisdiction!"

"That's her!" Louis shouted from inside the Krazy's.

"Yeah..." Winston agreed. "I saw her at Ray's wedding...but..."

"Please stop, Miss Monkeyfang." Roland said. "We don't want to hurt you."

"Her eyes were normal then." Winston finished.

"Shima-Buku." the girl said. "I could scarcely believe my luck."

"And the voice is different, too-she had that thick Cockney accent like Terchi."

"I wish we'd had more time to ask questions back at the Firehouse." Roland added.

Winston adjusted his thrower. "Lowest power beam. We don't want to hurt Coda-we just need to stop the thing possessing her!"

"Got it." Roland nodded, as the other three adjusted their beams.

"And what kind of sorcery do you have to bear against me this time, Chieftain?"

 _Right about now..._ Winston thought to himself. _I wish I'd asked Ray how to make these things fire the Crimebuster beams. Maybe I ought to have him create a setting..._

"On three..." Roland barked. 'THREE!"

Four low energy beams hit the short-statured girl. She screamed and was thrown back...

"What the..." Eduardo muttered.

The girl was still.

"We can't have fried her at that setting." Garrett spat.

"Coda's something that isn't totally human." Winston noted, suddenly very worried. "The beam could have affected her differently...I don't know..."

"Then we'd better make sure she's all right!" Roland said, moving to the still form.

The next thing they knew, they were being thrown back in a blast of violet energy. A female voice laughed at them heartily.

Eduardo went flying through the Krazy's window, landing on Louis and Sherm's table

Garrett was thrown to the street, away from his wheel chair.

Roland hit the wall of the restaurant hard, and a sickening crunch came from his proton pack.

Winston was slammed into the ECTO-1. _Shake it off, Zeddemore...this is still..._

"Imagine my surprise." Coda's body moved closer, sparks of violet energy beginning to play around it. "After thousands of revolutions of this planet about its star...after hundreds of the lifespans of you ape-creatures...I find you."

"Yeah." Winston acknowledged. "Can't say I'm personally all that thrilled."

"No, I suppose you wouldn't be, would you?" the entity laughed. "I came here seeking the other Hearts in Eclipse. Two together called to me, even from the other side of the Gauntlet. I have yet to find them, but instead I found you. Your garments are different, and your new sorcery stinks of the material realm; the millennia have dulled your knowledge of the old ways, perhaps. But your appearance, your bearing-there is no doubt remaining that it is you."

The energy began to swirl. The voice of Coda Monkeyfang began to deepen, and a booming resonance came into it that Winston found uncomfortably familiar.

 _"Shima-Buku, Chieftain of the Ibandi, Binder of the Undying One, Sunderer of the Lord of Gloom. Creator of the Moaning Stone and the Heart In Eclipse. The true winner of the War of the Gods."_

The jewel on her forehead glowed brighter, and the girl vomited violet ectoplasm.

"Gross..." Winston muttered.

The ectoplasm flowed around her, covering her. It began to darken in places, and took a shape. A tall, gangly, humanoid shape a good ten feet or more tall. Winston definitely thought of the Undying One, the ancient demon that had ruled over the land of his Ibandi ancestors. The creature before him was less...ornate is the word that came to mind.

Curiously, Winston found himself also thinking of a completely different demon, the "Master of Shadows" that had once challenged Egon to a battle of the minds (and lost).

 _"Take my greeting once more, Shima-Buku, and for the last time!"_ His hand glowed. _"The greeting of Anthal-Noje, Lord of Gloom, Steward of the Undying One!"_

Winston forcefully turned the dial on his thrower. _Even dialing it to eleven may not be enough..._ "About time you stopped blathering and got around to it!"

 _"Enjoy your latest death, Shima-Buku!"_ the creature snarled.

Winston was about to fire, when the creature suddenly shuddered.

 _"NO! DAMN YOU, DUSTMITE!"_

 _"I said..."_ a tinier, girlish voice snarled from within the writhing monster _"Get out...o' m' fuckin'...body!"_

"FULL STREAM!" Winston shouted, hoping one of the others-any one of the others-was there to hear him.

Eduardo had shaken off the impact, and though he had some cuts, he was there. Garrett wasn't mobile, but he could still fire-three full power proton beams slammed into the creature.

 _The she-child within me proves more tenacious than expected..._

An arm erupted from the chest of the monster-the arm of Coda Monkeyfang.

"Eduardo! Watch out! Don't hit the girl!"

The monster howled, then threw the blast building in its hand to the ground. The explosion filled the parking lot with smoke.

Winston was thrown to the ground again; when he looked up, the smoke was already clearing.

Coda and the entity possessing her were gone.

"Somehow, I don't think it's dead." Eduardo quipped.

"It had us..." Winston shook his head.

"Could somebody give me a fucking hand over here!?" Garrett shouted. "At least bring my damn chair or something!"

"Aw, not so handy-capable now, are you Roller Boy?" Eduardo teased.

"I will still crawl over there and kick your ass, Torgo!" Garrett shot back.

"Eddie..." Winston sighed.

"Going, Boss." Eduardo chuckled, and went over to help Garrett.

Winston, meanwhile, went over to Roland, who was still groggy. "You okay, Roland?"

"Why are there three of you, Winston?" Roland asked. "No...wait...now there's only one of you again...I think that's right." Roland shook his head. "What happened?"

"That thing had us dead to rights." Winston answered. "It was about to blast us into chunky soup, but I think the body it's possessing is putting up a hell of a fight. She distracted him at just the right moment, but we might not be so lucky next time."

Garrett rolled over, he and Eduardo still shoving each other.

"We better get back to the Firehouse, and see what Ray, Egon, and Kylie have figured out." Winston said.

* * *

To Be Continued

* * *

Based on _Ghostbusters_ Created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis

 _Extreme Ghostbusters_ Created by Fil Barlow

* * *

Ectozone Editorial Staff: Dr. Vincent Belmont, EGB Fan, TheRazorsEdge.

Additional Beta: Kingpin, OgreBBQ

* * *

Some references are made to Vincent Belmont's story "Mito Conundrum"; and to "Hearts In Eclipse", available at the Ectozone

Coda Monkeyfang and Terchi Bagwise created by Fritz Baugh. Advice on their accents provided by EGBFan.

Kaila McMillan Zeddemore based on a character created by James Van Hise and Phil Hester. Developed by Brian Reilly. Charlene Zeddemore created by OgreBBQ and Fritz Baugh, with some development by EGBFan.

Liz Hawthorne Stantz created by OgreBBQ. Developed by Fritz Baugh with some assistance from Jay Tigran. Eric Stantz created by OgreBBQ.

Reference made to material from _Ars Magica_ , created by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen; now owned by Atlas Games save a few concepts owned by White Wolf Games.

Detective Albert appeared in _Slimer_ #7 from Now Comics.

* * *

#4522-20171119u (28Sco,27AAq)  
141


	3. Chapter 3

**Extreme Ghostbusters: Coda and Terchi's Extreme Adventure, Part Three**

 **By Fritz Baugh**  
 **GBI Case File 1998-16/440**

* * *

 **Previously**

* * *

A routine day at Ghostbusters Central; Janine is looking at wedding dresses; Ray is welcoming his wife and son to New York City; and the Extreme Ghostbusters get a call about hairy-footed kids materializing in Queens.

Okay, maybe not so routine.

The Ghostbusters find Cockney halfling Terchi Bagwise, whom Ray and his wife Liz know-he's a companion of the wizard Zandrik Fallagar. Another Cockney halfling from Fallagar's employ-Coda Monkeyfang-has been possessed by the ancient Ibandi entity Anthal-Noje, the Lord of Gloom.

* * *

 **March 1998**  
 **Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline Year Sixteen**

* * *

"So what is Terchi and this Coda person anyway?" Kylie asked. "He didn't show up as an entity, but it's not a human reading either."

"My first guess would be perhaps some variety of fae creature." Egon noted. "Perhaps a variant of the Boggan Kith..."

Liz shook her head. "Not really. They're definitely mortal, and flesh and blood. The Archmage says they probably descend from survivors of ancient Atlantis who were changed by their exposure to mystic energy, though he does think the Faerie Realm was the source of that energy."

"I don't rightly know 'bout any of that, Miz 'Lizabef." Terchi shrugged. "We 'Obbits do like to know our 'eritage frontwards and backwards, but I ain't never 'eard it back that far..."

" 'Hobbits'?" Kylie noted. "Like in Tolkien?"

" 'Oo?" Terchi asked.

"Fascinating..." Egon mused.

"Focus, Egon." Ray grinned. "Let's start with something a little more recent-like what happened that got you here and Coda possessed."

Terchi sighed. "Okays, Mist' Ray..."

* * *

 **Terchi's Story**  
 **The Covenant of Dragonsfall**  
 **A couple hours ago.**

* * *

The tower stood at the center of Dragonsfall Covenent. Once upon a time, it was the personal sanctum of Zandrik Fallagar, the man who would become an Archmage. Now...well, it was more of a storehouse for some of his old stuff.

Every once in a while, he'd need something from that storehouse. Today was one of those days.

That's where Coda and Terchi came in.

"...Don'ts know why you drug me along on this errand..." Coda complained.

"Because the Archmage said the book was 'eavy." Terchi answered. "An' yer a lot stronger than I is."

"Whutever." Coda rolled her eyes.

Terchi laughed, pointing at a painting. "I always laugh when I see the gnolls playin' poker. That's a classic!"

"Place is damn tacky as 'elll..." Coda griped. "Now where is that book 'e needs?"

"'E finks it's by the velvet elves..." Terchi replied. "Y' sure y' don't wanna go to the Equinox Festival?"

Coda rolled her eyes again. "Oh sure...that's what I want...to be gossiped about by ev'ryone in the village."

"Oh, c'mon, you've been doin' much better since Miz 'Lizabef got married. You didn't even punch out anyone, not even when Miz 'Lizabef's nephew fought you wuz only twelve!"

Coda growled again.

Terchi pointed to a large, leatherbound book. "This is the one... _Worlds Wivin Worlds, By Micasa Filia Picanya Ex Criamon_."

"Shite!" Coda exclaimed, hefting the book. "It IS fuckin' 'eavy!"

After Coda put it back down, Terchi opened the cover.

"Y'sure y'should be doin' that?" Coda asked. "No tellin' what kindsa wards or shit the Archmage put on 'at..."

"It's in Latin...but the first page says somefin 'bout 'To m' apprentice Sierra on the occasion of 'er weddin', 1376AP'..."

"Crap, more weddin's..." Coda grumbled. "Wait, does that mean the Archmage's been married?"

"Didn't say it was 'im this Sierra person's marryin'..." Terchi shrugged. "Maybe we could ask'm..."

"Yeah, then we get turned to frogs for messin' wif stuff 'e didn't want us messin' wif." Coda got just a bit of mischievous gleam in her eye. "Bet that would ruin proper Miz Lilly Augusty's day you show up at the Festival like'at..."

"Coda, m'Dear..." Terchi said. "I keeps tellin' you, Lilly is m' cousin. 'Er Dad and me Mum are bruvver and sister. She's m' family-nuffin' for you to be jealous of!"

"Y'tell 'er that?" Coda retorted. Then after a beat "What you means 'jealous'?"

"Nuffin'..." Terchi replied.

"I swears, Terchi Bagwise, if this is some dumbarse joke at my expense I'll pull yer guts out through yer bung'ole..."

He backed up, waving frantically to calm her. "I said I wasn't! Can we jus' let it go and get the book to..." As he said that, he knocked a bottle off a shelf.

The bottle broke, and a gemstone rolled out. Purplish, opague, and even darker on one side.

"Now look what yous done, you Dumbarse!" Coda shouted. "'E's gonna roast us f'sure!" She reached down and grabbed the gem. "This might be valuable, and what if we broke..."

There was a blast of angry violet light, and Coda Monkeyfang screamed.

* * *

 **Now**

* * *

"Next fing I knew, we were somewhere else." Terchi finished, eyes downcast. "She not only 'ad 'er mad on, she was talkin' weird and beatin' a couple o' guys up before I could even gavver me head to do anyfin', and by the time I did she'd took off."

"Fascinating." Egon said.

" 'Got her mad on'?" Kylie asked.

"Well, it's...erm..." Terchi said, clearly at a loss for words.

"I hate to sound like something out of the _Ghosts and Gargoyles Player's Handbook_..." Ray intervened. "...But Coda's kinda like a barbarian. She has this ability to draw on primal spirits of rage, and it makes her ferocious in battle."

"Ray and I only saw it once." Liz added. She shuddered. "She took on the warlord of a skeleton army, who had already beaten Barney Lupin and the Archmage's guard marshal, singlehanded. And the warlord had to almost literally cut her in half before she went down."

"Ouch." Kylie said.

"She's a terror wif a sword, that one." Terchi said, a bit of smile creeping into his face. "Fank goodness she didn't 'ave it wif 'er today."

"Hm..." Egon mused. The radio crackled to life before he said anything else.

 _"Ghostbusters Central, this is ECTO-1. You guys there?"_

Egon grabbed the microphone. "Affirmative, Winston. What's the situation?"

 _"Not good."_ Winston replied. _"We found Coda, but she kicked our asses. Or more accurately, Noje kicked our asses. It's a lot different than when Louis got possessed. We're heading back now."_

"We'll confer in greater detail when you get here. GBCentral out."

"You guys know whut's 'appening?" Terchi asked. "Whut's 'Noje'?"

"Anthal-Noje." Ray answered. "It's a part of an ancient story from the nation of Tangalla-Noje was the 'Lord of Gloom' who was split into 'shards'-the purple gems. We encountered two of them just a few weeks ago."

"They drew on their bearer's anger and revenge fantasies." Egon added, Ray and Kylie knowing how close Egon came to being snuffed out in one of those gem-augmented "revenge fantasies". "But something about this doesn't sound quite in line with our experience yet. We need to talk to Winston and the others as soon as they're back."

* * *

Egon ruminated on the earlier conversation as he went into the TV room to check in with Janine; he knew Doris had left after Kaila and Charlene did.

She was laying on the couch, dozing lightly. Ray and Liz's son Eric was snuggled up on top of her, snoring lightly.

Slimer lay nearby with partially eaten potato chip bags-meaning, all of the chips in them had been eaten and the bags themselves partially eaten-strewn about.

In days past, the sight of Janine and the child might have made Egon uncomfortable. But now...a smile came to his face.

In his mind's eye, he found himself contemplating a similar sight. But instead of Eric Stantz, the child sleeping on Janine had red-or blond-hair.

Liz followed him, and started to say something. Egon held up a hand. "I think they're fine." he whispered. "Winston and the Ghostbusters should be getting back soon."

Liz nodded, and they both left.

* * *

 **A Short Time Later**

* * *

The Ghostbusters, past and present, as well as Terchi and Liz, had just finished. Janine had been roused and was also there, with Eric still sleeping upstairs next to Slimer.

After all accounts had been brought up to date, Egon identified the area he was most troubled by. "These accounts suggest that the entity is in far more direct control of Miss Monkeyfang that he ever was of Louis or the electronic store clerk. It sounds closer to a true possession than what Louis described of his experience."

"Yeah..." Winston agreed. "Louis was all hulked out, but he still sounded like Louis. Coda sounded different-she has the same Cockney sounding accent as Terchi, normally. But it was gone when she was possessed."

"Classic sign of possession." Ray nodded. "The speech patterns of the possessing entity instead of those of the host's native personality."

"What could cause something like that, though?" Eduardo asked. "What's the difference?"

Egon mused. "Like Ray said earlier, Coda is herself in communion with some primal anger spirits. But normally that would seem to be more likely to grant her some immunity to the creature's influence. I would surmise that somehow the entity was able to make a more powerful entrance into her psyche."

Liz's eyes narrowed. "The aura."

"What do you mean, Mrs. Stantz?" Roland asked.

"The gems here on Earth were presumably, well, here on Earth, where the ambient ectosphere has been depressed for most of the last seven years." Liz explained, which most of them already know. "But the gem Coda found was at Dragonsfall-a shard realm based off the original spot in Germany where the covenant was built. Like most Hermetic covenants, it was built on the site of a high magic aura-a ley line in this case. And unlike on Earth, the shard realm's magical aura was not affected by the mystic drought."

"With more mystic energy, the gem was more fully charged." Egon summarized. "So when Coda's anger activated it, it was able to channel far more of its power into dominating and suppressing her personality than the more, for lack of a better term, 'starved' gem did with Louis."

"Oh crap..." Terchi moaned, not liking the sound of that.

"She's still fighting it, though." Eduardo told him, setting a hand on his shoulder. "She even reached an arm out of it for a sec."

This did seem to cheer Terchi up. "Well, she is the most stubborn and contrary person I knows..."

 _Oh yeah..._ Eduardo thought to himself, sparing a quick glance at Kylie. _The little dude has it bad for that chica..._

"So what's the play now?" Garrett asked. "I'd like a rematch with that sicko ASAP."

"We will, Garrett." Winston nodded. "And on our terms, not his."

"Oh?" Egon raised an eyebrow.

"We got what it wants." Winston replied.

* * *

 _ **GET OUT OF MY 'EAD!**_

 _Must you keep doing this, girl-creature?_

 _ **WELL, YOU AIN'T LEFT YET, SO YEAH! I GUESSES I DO!**_

 _Your stubbornness is becoming tiresome._

 _ **WELL, SOD OFF AN' I AIN'T YER PROBLEM NO MORE! WIN-WIN!**_

 _I think you overestimate your importance. No...your misshapen form still serves a purpose for me at the moment. Your resolve is annoying, but nothing more._

 _?_

 _What is this I feel?_

 _The gloom gem I felt that brought me here...and...one more..._

 _Their call has become much clearer..._

 _...And..._

 _...Shima-Buku is near them!_

 _ **YOU BULLYWUG-FUCKING ARSE'OLE!**_

 _Be silent, you wretch!_

* * *

 **An Abandoned Lot Near Ghostbusters Central**

* * *

Kylie looked up from her PKE Meter. "I got the signal! He's coming!"

Roland, Eduardo, and Garrett unholstered and armed their throwers.

A purple glow followed the appearance of Anthal-Noje; there was no visible sign of Coda in the ectoplasmic shell that now covered her in the demon's visage.

Terchi, beside ECTO-1, felt his heart sink. _Coda's in that thing?!_

"ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HERE!" Winston shouted. His proton pack's thrower was still holstered. Interestingly, it was one of the older, Mark 1 proton packs that the original Ghostbusters used for eight years.

 _"Shima-Buku, Chieftain of Tangalla..."_ Noje snarled.

"I knew you couldn't keep away.' Winston said. "Not when I brought this perfect bait." He held up a transparent box, holding the two gloom gems the Extreme Ghostbusters had obtained previously.

"NOW!" Roland shouted. Three proton beams slammed into the creature.

 _"Keep an eye on the meter, Kylie!"_ Egon's voice barked from her walkie-talkie.

"Will do." she replied.

The creature snarled, and shot out tendrils of energy. _"This pathetic sorcery won't be any more effective this time!"_

"iiiAye Caramba!' Eduardo shouted, barely dodging a blast.

"This isn't working well enough..." Terchi heard Kylie growl.

"We have to give it more time!" Ray said from beside her.

"I just wish guys like this would learn only to pick on people as ugly as they are!" Garrett said. "He'd leave everybody alone, except Torgo!"

"BITE ME!" Eduardo shouted.

 _"Your anger is delightful..."_ Noje grinned _"Take a gem. Become one with me."_

"Don't mind if I do!" came Terchi's voice, as he grabbed the box from Winston.

"Terchi? What..."

"Fing is, Mist' Uglypants, whut if the one we're pissed off at..." Terchi grabbed a gem from the box. "IS YOU!"

There was a blast of violet energy around Terchi Bagwise. When it dissipated, he stood transformed.

A seven foot tall, idealized version of Terchi, clad in golden armor-Ray recognized it was being patterned off of Styx's armor-and carrying...

...Coda's bastard sword.

 _"What?!"_ Noje said.

"PREPARE T' BE VANQUISHED, YOU BAG O' SICK!" The transformed Terchi screamed and charged Noje.

"The readings are going nuts!" Kylie exclaimed. "This is dumb as hell, but it's working!"

Terchi slammed the Noje entity with this sword-Eduardo noticed that it was with the flat part of it _The little muchacho is pissed, but still didn't forget his chica's in there somewhere_

 _"This is absurd!"_ Noje snarled. _"I'm fighting myself!"_

"SOD OFF AN' IT ENDS! WIN-WIN!" Terchi howled, slamming him again.

 _"Enough of this foolishness!"_ Noje gestured angrily.

Terchi screamed, and the gloom gem popped off of his head. He fell to the ground, the muscular armored body and sword dissolving into ectoplasm.

"It's almost..." Kylie started to say.

 _"Now you die, Dustmote!"_ Noje reared a giant fist back.

 _"NO. 'E. FUCKING. DOESN'T!"_ a higher pitched voice shouted from Noje.

The giant form howled.

Its chest erupted, and the right arm and head of Coda Monkeyfang sprang forth.

'NOW WINSTON!" Kylie shouted.

Winston's nutrona wand fired-but the beam was of a more greenish tint than usual.

It didn't grab Noje-it grabbed Coda.

 _"What is this?!"_

* * *

 **Earlier**

* * *

Roland saw Ray adjusting one of the original, Mark 1 proton throwers. "What are you doing with that, Doctor Stantz?"

"I need a specific setting for Winston's plan." Ray answered. "I'm more familiar with this design, and can make the modifications a lot quicker."

"What modification is that?"

"Organic confinement."

"They...can do that?" Eduardo asked.

"It takes some adjustment." Egon answered.

"There was a time in '85 when business was so slow we considered branching out into fighting crime." Ray continued. "The idea worked, but we pretty quickly realized that if regulators were bad when we were dealing with stuff the law doesn't recognize..."

"As the son and brother of cops, you don't have to explain it any further to me." Eduardo nodded.

"Fortunately, that time the paranormal drought proved short-lived." Egon noted. "But the specifications are still usable. And we need Winston ready to use it."

* * *

 **Now**

* * *

Winston's beam wrenched Coda free of the distended form of Anthal-Noje; he pulled her some distance away from the entity, and set her on the ground as gently as he could. Which, to be honest, under the circumstances really wasn't all that gentle.

The three male Extreme Ghostbusters poured on the proton beams, slamming Noje's body.

"Coda!" Terchi called, stumbling closer to her.

"Stay back!" Ray cried to him.

Coda sat up; one of her eyes had returned to normal-but the other was still blacked out. She convulsed, and made a combination snarl and gargle.

 _"Fools! The girl-creature is still mine! Her anger is great-and that is what fuels me! It's only a matter of time!"_

"About that." Ray said, finally stepping away from the ECTO-1.

He wasn't in a proton pack. Instead, it was a bulky apparatus with one large grey tank and two smaller green tanks on the back, and he had a two-handed grip on a silver cylinder with a conic projection mechanism.

 _"Eh?"_

Coda was blasted with a stream of bright pink ectoplasm.

* * *

 **Earlier**

* * *

"What the heck is that?" Kylie asked, as Winston drug the cumbersome rig into the garage. "It looks like somebody's power sprayer system."

"Not too far off." Winston answered. "We used to have two of them-this one's Ray's. Mine got blown up during a case back in '91"

"I somehow doubt pressure washing the demon thing is going to work here." Garrett quipped.

"Did on that case." Winston retorted without missing a beat.

"Depends what we load into it." Egon said. "This specific device was actually created to apply positively charged psychomagnetheric ectoplasm. It proved vital to securing our victory against Vigo the Carpathian on New Year's Day 1989."

"The 'mood slime'!" Kylie realized. "Dr. V talked about it a couple times. But I thought it was all gone."

"No." Egon shook his head. "We had some samples we saved before the original 'river of slime' dried up in early 1989, which I kept. There was a similar slime flow in 1991, which also dissipated after the defeat of the Architect and the remission of the ectosphere. Fortunately...we seem to have stumbled onto a way to stimulate self-replication."

"Barry White?" Winston asked.

"The Rita Coolidge version of 'Higher and Higher' actually." Egon answered. "With..." his face went red. "Some assistance."

"Let's just say the experiment was intensely fascinating." Janine broke in, a slightly smug look on her face.

"Okay, all of a sudden I really really don't want to know anymore." Garrett cringed.

* * *

 **Now**

* * *

Coda-or more accurately, the entity possessing her-screamed once more, a long, painful howl that made everyone hearing it flinch.

"You will regret this day, Shima-Buku..." Anthal-Noje gasped weakly in Coda's voice. "Even if it takes another ten thousand years...I will..."

The gem flared for half a second, went dark, and popped off of Coda's forehead. She crumpled like a marionette with cut strings.

The ectoplasmic form the Ghostbusters were blasting burst like a balloon.

"Well, I think it's dead." Eduardo quipped.

Roland quickly grabbed the two gems with tweezers, placing them into the box that one of them had previously been in.

"Coda!" Terchi cried, going over to the prone form of his fellow halfling. "Coda...you gotta be okay now..."

"Her PK trace is back down to normal levels." Kylie said, examining her PKE Meter. "The entity's trace is completely gone."

Coda groaned, and her eyes opened. They both had normal white sclera.

"Fank godfuss..." Terchi said, hugging her.

"I...er...gotta warn you, Terchi." Winston said. "The mood slime can have some aftereffects..."

"Hmmm..." Coda moaned. "Terchi...y'big baldy doofus...y'saved me..."

"Well, I couldn't just let that tosser keep usin' you..."

"Let's go somewhere and shag, right now..." Coda said breathily, starting to paw at his shirt. "Or just go at it like muskrats right 'ere..."

"Coda?" Terchi asked, clearly shocked, face turning red.

"We better make sure Egon knows there is a unique residual to his slime production method..." Ray said.

"But not Peter." Winston added. "He can never find out about this..."

"Whut's the matter, Terch?" Coda continued. "Don't tell me you don'ts want to...you been starin' at me bum and knockers since th' day we met..."

Terchi sighed wearily. "Coda, Luv, I wants to so bad it 'urts." He shook his head. "But not like this. Y' been possessed, 'ad yer mad on, an' now you're 'opped up on 'appy goo. It's th' same as if y' were drunk off your arse-I'd say your ability to genuinely consent is a mite bit compromised."

She chuckled throatily. "You an' yer morals, Terchi Bagwise. No wonder I'm so in lo..." She nodded off, and started snoring loudly.

"Plus, you know, you always konk outs after a mad on." Terchi sighed again, hugging the sleeping young woman.

* * *

 **The Next Day**

* * *

Eduardo saw Terchi pacing the floor. "Hey..."

" 'Ey, Mist' Torgo." Terchi answered.

Eduardo decided correcting him was a waste of time. _I'll let that slide just this once._ "So how's she doin'?"

"Oh, you know, awake but mean. Same as always." Terchi shrugged.

"Hey, little dude...I completely relate. Girl treats you like crap most of the time, but every once in a while, some little bit comes out that gives you hope." He sighed. "Believe me, I understand..."

 _"Let's go somewhere and shag, right now...Or just go at it like muskrats right 'ere..."_

 _"A good looking guy like you was really hard to resist. Kiss me Eduardo. I want you to."_

"The Sluagh girl, right?" Terchi asked.

Eduardo rolled his eyes. "Close enough, yeah."

"Well, I guess we both just 'ave to wait an' see 'ow it goes, won't we?"

* * *

Roland was taking off his jacket when there was a knock at the firehouse's front door.

Janine went to open it. "About time to unlock it for business hours anyway."

She opened the door to find a hobgoblin in a suit staring at her.

"You are a Ghostbuster?" the hobgoblin said in a clipped, dismissive voice.

"Depends on who you ask." She stared back at him.

They stared for a little bit longer before a more pleasant voice broke in. "My apologies for my Marshall's manners, Miss Melnitz. I believe you have ended up with a couple of my associates in your care."

* * *

Kylie realized the hair on the back of her neck was standing up even before she knew there were more visitors to Ghostbusters Central.

She saw the hobgoblin, but it barely registered...the man with him was causing some part of her brain to scream.

"Mist' Fallagar!" she heard Terchi exclaim, and run to them. "Mist' Styx!"

"It appears that Mister Bagwise, at least, is unscathed." the hobgoblin noted. "Which is good, because otherwise I would be forced to obliterate all of you!"

Terchi hugged hugged the man he called "Fallagar"; the name tripped a trigger in Kylie's mind. _That's the eight hundred year-old Archmage Terchi kept yammering about? He doesn't look much older than me._

"Archmage." Egon appeared. "It's been a while."

"That it has, Doctor Spengler." Fallagar replied, as they shook hands. "I suppose I should not be surprised those two ended up here."

"It is quite a story, Boss." Terchi admitted.

Fallagar looked around. "Elizabeth and Raymond aren't here?"

"They haven't made it in yet." Janine explained. "They're getting settled into his Aunt Lois's house."

* * *

 **A Little While Later**

* * *

"Fascinating..." Fallagar said, looking at the box holding the three gloom gems. "A man had it attached to his forehead as he was angrily attacking a companion of mine for seducing his sister. I kept it, but none of my researches uncovered what it was, so I stopped even trying." Fallagar shrugged. "It had remained inert as far as I knew, so I had pretty much forgotten about it."

"How long ago was this?" Egon asked.

Fallagar contemplated for a moment. "1198, I believe."

"Damn..." Eduardo whistled.

"Do you want to take it back?" Egon asked. "I would be willing to let you have the other two also."

Fallagar shook his head. "No...I think it is quite obvious they are in better safekeeping here."

Terchi gulped. Fallagar hadn't expressed any disappointment with his and Coda's conduct leading to the incident, but Terchi still felt guilty about it.

"Very well." Egon nodded, handing the box back to Roland. "Get this back into the vault."

"I'll go an' get Coda!" Terchi volunteered, to noone's surprise.

* * *

Coda had just finished dressing-her clothes had taken some heavy laundering after being slimed the previous day-when the door to the bed area knocked.

"You decent in there, Luv?"

"As decent as I gets." she replied.

"Mast' Fallagar and Styx are 'ere to take us back 'ome." Terchi explained as he entered. "'E says 'e ain't gonna roast us or nuffin'!"

"Good." Coda snarled. "It'd be your fault if we wuz."

"I knows." Terchi looked downcast.

She started to stride for the door, then stopped, and quickly looked around. "I 'eard what you did, takin' one of those demon stones so Mist' Ray's friends could do what they needed to clear that bugger outta' me 'ead. Sounds like it was incredibly stupidarse."

"Yeah." Terchi agreed.

"But it also took balls of steel." she said in a softer, more affectionate tone of voice.

Then she grabbed him and kissed him.

She turned away as he stood there dumbstruck. "An' if you tells anyone I just did that, I'll deny it then rip your guts out yer bellybutton."

"Whateva' you says, Luv." Terchi replied, a smile spreading on his face.

* * *

Based on _Ghostbusters_ Created by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis

 _Extreme Ghostbusters_ Created by Fil Barlow

* * *

Ectozone Editorial Staff: Dr. Vincent Belmont, EGB Fan, TheRazorsEdge.

Additional Beta: Kingpin, OgreBBQ

* * *

Some references are made to my story "Hearts In Eclipse", available her on FFN.

Archmage Fallagar, Coda Monkeyfang, and Terchi Bagwise created by Fritz Baugh. Advice on Coda and Terchi's accents provided by EGBFan. Styx created by OgreBBQ and Fritz Baugh, and any resemblance to a character created by Steven Moffat is a complete coincidence, you Rutan scum.

Kaila McMillan Zeddemore based on a character created by James Van Hise and Phil Hester. Developed by Brian Reilly. Charlene Zeddemore created by OgreBBQ and Fritz Baugh, with some development by EGBFan.

Liz Hawthorne Stantz created by OgreBBQ. Developed by Fritz Baugh with some assistance from Jay Tigran. Eric Stantz created by OgreBBQ.

Reference made to material from _Ars Magica_ , created by Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein•Hagen; now owned by Atlas Games save a few concepts owned by White Wolf Games, and _Changeling The Dreaming_ from White Wolf Games.

* * *

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